Ventilating mechanism.



A. R. AYERS & B. A. STOWE. lVENTILA'IING MBGHANISM. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 8.1912.

1, 1 1 5,479. y l Patented Nov. 3, 1914.

I IM s:

UNiTnD STATES PATENT ornron AUGUSTINE B. AYEns, or onio'aoo, ILLINOIS, AND immuni) A. srown, or vcLEvE- LAND, onio.

VENTILATING MECHANISM.

Lirama.

Specication of Letters VPatent.

Patented Nov. 3,1914.

. ,Application led J une 8, 1912. Serial N o. 702,390.

-To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, AUGUSTINE R. Arens and BERNARD A. S'rowE, both citizens ofthe l United States, and residents of Chicago, 1

county of Cook, and State of illinois, and of Cleveland, coun-ty of Cuyahoga, and State of Ohio respectively, have jointly invented a new and useful Improvement in Ventilating Mechanism, of which the following is a specification, the principle of the invention being herein explained and the'best mode inl ,which we have contemplated applying that principle, so as to distinguish 'it from .other inventions.

The present invention relates primarily to air current producing means of the kind known as rotary fans, which continually change the direction of the air currents produced thereby.'

rlhe object of the invention is the provi- I sion of a fan of` this type, which will automatically revolve about a xedaxis by the .y positive operation of vthe fan motors, the de- Y mounting mayy be capable lof 'assuming a more or less ornamental form, as 1s desirablel sign being such 'as to; secure such vpositive operation with a minimum expenditure of energy, and' in such a form that the f a-n in rooms and railwaycoaches,and 'other places where such rotary fans arefgeneiall-y employed. A l p A ,further object .of thei-nvention is the inclusion in a single com "act vfixture 'of the fan .mechanism and a lighting device, so

that, particularly -in .the ease ofv railway coaches and Athe like, :where the ceiling is paneled and laid out with reg-ard only to' pendant lighting ifxftures, and theallount of head-room is limited, the introduction of fans -may Vbe made without destroying the proper symmetry and effect of the arrangement with-a minimum drop from :the supporting v ceiling. Y Itis also objectionable inqsuch 'locations'tovadd to the .number Y of fixtures de.- 'pend-ing from the ceiling, `as would ,be neeessary if separateones were required for the support of .the fan and lighting units.

To the accomplishment' ofthe foregoing and related ends, lsaid invention, then, conf` -sists ,of the means .hereinafter -fully described and particularly pointed .out in the claims.

- The annexed drawing and the following description -set forth infdetail certain-mecha- .nisni embodying the'. invention, suchdis.

closedmeans constituting, however, but l one power.

of thel various mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may be used. In said annexed drawings -fFigure 1 is a [part side elevationI and part vertical section consists of a plate or cano y 1 provided with holes 2I for securing or olting it .to such oei-ling, to which plate is, in turn, attached by means of screws 3 an interiorly threaded casting 4. In the latter isthreaded a centra-l stem 5 of hollow cylindrical form having a laterally extendin 11p-turned flange 6 near its lower ond, in W ich is carried -a ball race and blls 7. These form a bearing for a rotatable shell or hollow frame -8vfrom `which thefans 94 are designed to-be sup ported, asgwill bc presentlyexpl-ai ned. This shell also has an interior bea-ring contact at its upper end 10 with the casting 4 into which .the `stein is threaded, but the weight ofthe :frame is sustained, as will be'obvious,

upon the ball. bearing, thus leaving it free to rotate with a very slight expenditure of The fans 9 are not directly secured to the frame 8, but to a shell 11 of conical or skirted' form that is securely attached at its upper smaller end to the lower end of said frame, and that entirely incloses the lower flanged end .of the central stem -5 and the ball bearing 7 carried thereby. TheV hous-v ings for the fan motors, which housings may be of any appropriate design, are supported onv pedestals or studs '12 located near the flower edge of this shell', the number of fans being ordinarily twofas s'hownin the drawing, although any numberrfor which there is'space maybe so mounted. The fans 13 proper .arecarried 'by the forward ends of the motor shafts 14, nwhile the rear ends .of such shafts, which incline upwardly 'withA 'respect to the. .central axis' of the fixture, .oarry, or are connected with, speed reducing@ 19 iso' mechanisms to which are.secured beveled pinions 16, either of the frictional kind shown, or toothed, as may be preferred, depending upon the character of the service and other conditions surrounding the use of. the device. An approved construction of' reducing mechanism is that shown in S. Letters Patent No. 988,043, but it will be understood thatany suitable speed-reducing- Beveled plnions 16 engage an annular member or ring 17 supported from the casting 4 and having its-contacting face 418 either smooth ortoothed, depending upon whether a frictional or geared engagement betveen the'pinions and such member'is de` sired. Where the4 former [driving connec' tion is utilized, thev member is preferably slidably supported, from .the casting .by means of pins 19 that enter vertical slots 20 in the latter, the weight of the member being depended 'upon to preserve thevnecessary frictional. engagement with the pinions, while by leaving the member oating, as 1t were, it is free to accommodate itself to any diiferences in the relative positions of the pinions, making the device in this respect automatically adjustable.

The upper portion ofthe structure between the canopyr 1 and the skirted .shell 11 is inclosed-by another shell 21 that corresponds 'in form and ornamental design with such first named shell andhides the pinions, the annular member 17 and the casting'4,-from which the structure. as' a whole depends.

Such upper shellis preferably divided on a diametrical line which includes the axes of the two pinions, openings being left through which the latter may project'into engagement'withthe annular member.

Electrical connection from the leads to the respective motors is made through the medium of twocontact rings 22 and 23 carried by an annular insulating base 24 that slips over the casting 4 and is supported thereby. Cooperating with these rings respectively are two pairs of contact brushes 25 and 26 that are conveniently attached to lthe upper shell, one pair adjacent to leach fan motor. Suitably insulated wires 27 lead from the brushes tothe motors,.being carried beneath the lower`shell 11, so as to be substantially entirely out 'of sight,"a's are also the connections 28 from the-rings to the lead wires As stated, the fixture in hand is designedto inlude a lighting-unit along with the foregoing lfan. mechanism, and withth-is in view, a housing 29 for such unit and its glassware'is rovided, 'being attached directly .to the owerend of the central stem v5. of the' structure previously described...

Only the outer'lowerl edge of this housing .will extend beyond the skirted shell 11 that ,supports the fans and the two will normally v be'madeto harmonize in design. To the lower edgevofathis casting, or rather to an ornamental 'ringain effect' forming a part thereof, is hingedlthe annular support 30 for a glass bowl 31 or other desired inclosure formthe under side of tlie\\"lighting unit, a

latch normallyholdin'g this`\support closed, as will be readily understood. The lamp receptacle 32 is attached to the upper portion of the housing and may serve to/carry both-- the lamp 33 and the shade or reflector 34, or the latter may, if desired, be otherwise supported as most convenient within the housing 29. The wiring 35' for thelamp is carried directly through the lreceptacle in the central opening in the stem ofthe fixture and is entirely independent of `the wiring connections 22 for the fan. Separate remote switches (not shown) will, of course, be provided for controlling the fan motors and lamp.' The mode of operation of the device should be readily understood without other than brief description. The motors, upon closing the electric circuit which includes them, rotate their shafts andthus the pinions lthrough the medium of the reducing mechanism 15 such pinions, by reason of their frictional or meshing contact with the annular member 17, efect the rotation of the entire rotatable sup orting structure, including the frame 8, tie shells'll. and 21 supported thereby, and the fans 9.` Such. ro\ tation, lof course; is about the vertical axis of the fixture. The lamp 33 maybe turned on or ofi` whenever desired by means of the switch which controls the separate circuit including said lamp.

.It will, of course,`be understood that one motor only 'may be provided with positive driving connection with the annulus 18, or equivalent non-rotative element of the fxture, although a better balance is secured by' It -need alsol the construction shown.

scarcely be remarked that the fans may'e' connected either in series orparallel as sired,`only a single -palr of contactmembers 22 and 23 being requisite in the .latter case.

By the use of positive gears loperated by `one or more fan motors through suitable reducing mechanism inthe fashion here'inbeforeset forth, the .fixture is caused to revolve 'a any and all speeds of the motors. Thus' "reduced voltag, or when subjected to interposed; resistance inthe circuit leading,

tothe fixture, an yadjustment'which-.cannot be successfullyfutilized in fixtures of'this4 .classlde'pending for'their operation upon the .reactive 1forces on the blades,

We therefore particularly vpoint out and.

distinctly claim as our'invention:-

l. In mechanism of the class described, the combination of a pendent support; a frame' rotatably attached thereto; electric fans carried by said frame; an annular member on said support disposedl adjacent to the,

inner ends of Said: fans, said member being with reference to said support; and pinions onsaid motors having a driving engagement with the under face of said annular member, whereby said frame is rotated upon operation of said fans.

2. In mechanism of the class described,

- the @ombination of a pendent support; a frame rotatably4 attached thereto; electric fans carried by said frame, the Shafts of the fan motors being inclined u wardly at their inner ends; an annular mem er on said support disposed adjacent tothe inner ends of such shafts, said member being non-rotatably but freely vertically movable with reference to said supportaand bevel pinions on said motors having frictional driving engagement with the under face of said annular member, whereby said frame is rotated upon operation of said fans.

3. In mechanism of the class described, the combination of a pendent support comprising a plate adapted tovbe attached to a ceiling or the like; a central stem threaded into said plate and depending therefrom', said stem havingK a laterally extending flange near itsflower end, and a ball-bearing on said dange; ahollow frame mounted on said bearing so as to berotatable about said stem, said frame also having a lateral bear `ing at its upper end; a'skirted shell depending from said frame; electric fans supported on said shell, the shafts'of the fan motors being inclined upwardly at their inner ends; an annular member attached to said plate so as to lie adjacent the inner ends of said fans, said inember being non-rotatable but freely vertically reciprocable withreference to said plate, pinions on said fans having a driving engagement with said annular member, whereby said frame is rotated upon operation of said fans; saidiannular member being weighted to adapt it to'automatically adjust itself vertically into constant driving engagement with said pinions.

4. In mechanism of the class described, the combination of a pendent support comfprising a plate adapted to be attached to a ceiling or the.like;'a central stem threaded into said plate and depending therefrom,

said stemhaving; a laterally' extendingA .te said plate so as to lie adjacent to the :inner ends of said; fans, Said member being -non-rotatablerbut freely vertically reciprocable with reference to said' plate; and pinions on said fans having a driving engage- `ment with said annular member, whereby aid frameis rotated upon operation of said ans.

non-rotatably but freely vertically movable 5. In mechanismv of they class described, the combination of. a pendent support com- *prising a plate adapted'v toQbe attached to al ceiling or the like; a central stem threaded into said plate and Ydepending therefrom,

,said stem'having a laterally extending ange "near itslower end, and a ball-bearing on said flange; a hollow frame mounted on said` bearing so as to be rotatable about said stem, said frame also'having a lateral bearing at its upperend; a skirted shell depending from said frame; electric fans supported on said shell, the shafts 'of the fan motors being inclined upwardly at their inner ends; an annular member attached to said plate so as to lie adjacent to the inner ends of said fans, said member' being nonrotatable but freely vertically reciprocable with reference to said plate; and pinions on-A said fans having a. driving engagement with said annular member, whereby said frame is rotated upon operation of said fans.

6. lin mechanism of the class described,` the combination of a 'pendent'support comprising a plate adapted to be attached to a ceiling or the like; a central stem threaded into said plate and depending therefrom, said stem having a laterally extending flange near' its lower end, and a ball-beary ing on Said flange; a hollow frame mounted on said bearing so as to be rotatable about said stem,. said frame also having a lat-eral l bearing at its upper end; a skirted lshell depending from said frame; electric fans supported on said shell, the shafts of the fan motors being inclined' upwardly at their inner ends; an annular member attached to said plate so as to lie adjacent to the inner ends of said fans, said member beingnonrotatable but freely reciprocable with refiis erence to said plate; a second shell, made up of separable sections, inclosing said frame and member and having apertures opposite' said fans; and pinions on said fans extend-v Y ',prising a plate adapted to be attached to a ceiling or the like; a central steinthreaded `into said plate and depending]therefrom,y

ported on 'said shell, the shafts of saidv motors being inclined upwardly at their inner ends; a lamp xtureattached to the lower end of said stem so as to be partially inclosed by said shell; an annular member' attachedto said plate soLas to lie'a'djacent to the inner ends of said fans, said member being non-rotatable but freely vertically reciprocable with reference to said plate; and pinions on said fans having a drivlng vengagement with said annular. member,

whereby said frame is rotated upon opera-V tion of said fans. .l Signed by me, AUGUSTINE R. Aimes, this 21st day of May, A1912.

. AUGUSTINE R'. AYERS.

Attested b E. C. HARDY,

` G. E. PARKS.

Signed by me, BERARD A. SI'rowE, this 24th day of May, 1912.

- BERNARD A'. STOWE. Attested by- H. MCKOUGH,

C. N. SMITH, 

